Monday, February 11, 2013

Bulgaria is Not South America

In considering a guest post for the South American Mystery Novels and Stuff blog I was hesitant, as Bulgaria, the country featured in my new novel, is not located in South America. However, like many of the books listed here, the story of Valley of Thracians takes place in an exotic location, quite off the beaten track for Western tourists.

For those who aren't ready to board a Bulgarian Air flight to Sofia, I can offer something else, a chance to learn about the wonders of Bulgaria through the pages of my novel.

Valley of Thracians is a suspense novel. There is a missing Peace Corps volunteer and buried treasure. However, I would classify it as "travel fiction", in that the location, Bulgaria, plays as important a role in the story as the main characters.

My wife and I lived and worked in Sofia for two years. During that time, we traveled extensively around Bulgaria, learning the country's history and culture, climbing its mountains, sunbathing on its beaches, shopping in its stores, visiting its villages, eating its traditional food, and learning a bit of Bulgarian along the way. Okay, we didn't learn that much Bulgarian. We made many friends and in short, fell in love with the country.

Upon our return to our permanent home in Israel, I found it hard to tear myself away from the feeling of living in Bulgaria. To solve this aching, I turned to my writing. I had previously published a collection of short stories, The Virtual Kibbutz, which was very Israeli in subject matter. Now I decided to try something totally different - a novel about another country.

I believe I have succeeded in telling a bit about Bulgaria and I hope that readers will appreciate the chance to learn about this unique place while they take a suspenseful journey by reading my book.

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About Me

Originally from Sioux City, Iowa, I have been living in Israel since the
age of fifteen. I served in the Israeli army, was the founding member
of a kibbutz, and currently reside on a moshav outside Jerusalem. I
lived and worked in Bulgaria during the years 2009 - 2010.
To contact me:
ellisshuman @ gmail.com